In a significant development, the Centre has proposed to bring the Municipal Corporation of Delhi under the Delhi Government, a long-pending demand of the ruling Congress in the Capital.
According to a Union Home Ministry spokesperson, a decision has been taken in principle to bring the MCD under the Delhi Government. “A final decision on the proposal will be taken after taking into confidence all the stakeholders,” he said.
A senior Delhi Government official confirmed that it had received a communication from the Centre proposing to bring the MCD under its direct jurisdiction.
The MCD came into existence on April 7, 1958, under an Act of Parliament and is one of three civic bodies in Delhi that caters to 96 per cent of the total area of the city.
Recently Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had repeatedly accused the MCD of “inefficiency” and demanded that the civic body be brought under the control of her government amid strong opposition from leaders of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the MCD.
The Delhi Cabinet is expected meet on Monday to discuss the issue.
Meanwhile, Delhi Mayor Kanwar Sain on Sunday dubbed the proposal as “politically motivated.”
Pointing out that the Centre had stated that it would consult all stakeholders before taking a final decision, Dr. Sain said the BJP leaders in the MCD would sit with senior party leaders and decide the future course of action.
“We will fight it legally and politically. We will oppose the move and any attempts to encroach on our powers and interfere in our working,” he added.
Echoing similar sentiments, MCD Standing Committee chairman Ram Kishan Singhal said: “We are going to oppose this move tooth and nail. Such a proposal in the middle of our tenure simply means that the Congress is trying to divert attention from its failures on the electricity, water and law and order front.”
